Usage Conversion illegal software from misdemeanor to crime recommended government through the draft law that was submitted yesterday for consultation by Ministers of State Giorgos Gerapetritis and Judge Kostas Tsiaras. The legislative initiative is a response to what has become known in recent months about the monitoring of politicians and journalists in the country using Predator Software.

Accordingly, under the proposed provisions, the possession and sale of illegal software is prosecuted as an offense and punishable by imprisonment for a term of one to five years. Publicin particular be able to acquire spyware under conditions to be determined by decree of the president of the competent ministers and after the approval of State Council. The bill also includes a proposal that once again gives the right to the controlled person to be informed of his request to remove the privacy on his phone. An opportunity that was abolished by an amendment in the spring of 2021. The bill proposes that the person concerned can be informed three years after the removal of privacy on his phone and as long as the purpose for which the removal was ordered is not compromised. The notification is received by a three-person body consisting of the competent prosecutor, the president of the Anti-Terrorism Office, and the Commander of the EYP or Counter-Terrorism. In addition, the new legislation proposes that only two specific services, and not other public authorities, can submit a request for declassification on national security grounds.

Troika to declassify political figures”warranty filter“. The process can only be started EYPhis permission is required chairman of parliament (until the prosecutor’s opinion), and the request must be accompanied by specific elements that make the threat to national security imminent and highly probable. Moreover, already in August last year, with the help of the Legislative Contents Act, the government reinstated the need for the conclusion of a second prosecutor – in addition to the one overseen by EYP – to declassify the target person’s phone for reasons of national security. Regulation repealed in 2018

Retired Diplomat or Senior Military Commander – Signature of the Speaker of Parliament for monitoring a politician.

Of particular interest are two more provisions included in the bill under discussion. One of them concerns the abolition of the conclusion of confidential agreements by the Center for Technological Support, Development and Innovation (KETYAK) of the Ministry of Finance. The government’s initiative follows information and publications about the Center’s potentially suspicious role in spying on the Predator software. The second provision concerns the destruction of de-confidentiality files. For monitoring content (audio files, etc.), automatic deletion is proposed after six months from the end of deletion, and for a file with documentation material – its preservation for ten years after the end of deletion. It is also proposed that declassification for national security reasons should have a maximum period of ten months (similar to declassification for the purpose of investigating crimes), unless there are specific elements that make a national security threat imminent and highly probable. Finally, it is proposed to appoint a diplomat or a retired high-ranking military officer to the post of commander of the EMP, and to abolish the post of 3rd deputy commander.

Parties react

SYRIZA characterizes the government’s EMP bill as a “legislative tombstone” and speaks of “an attempt to cover up a scandal”. As they note, “he does not restore the provision he canceled, and retroactively, on the possibility of informing a controlled person. On the contrary, it is envisaged that a corresponding request can be made three years after the end of the monitoring.”

PASOK President Nikos Androulakis stated yesterday (Mega) that he disagreed with the provision to inform a person under surveillance three years after the end of surveillance and asked for it to be done immediately until there is evidence of involvement in the case. revealed under investigation.